Filipino bishops' leader backs withholding Communion
Manila, Jul. 16, 2008 (CWNews.com) - The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines has given his unqualified support to a brother bishop's pastoral letter barring pro-abortion politicians from receiving Communion.
Archbishop Jesus Dosado had Ozamis has drawn some criticism for his strong stance-- just as an influential American Church leader, Archbishop Raymond Burke, drew criticism for taking the same stand in his St. Louis, Missouri archdiocese. (Archbishop Burke has now been appointed to a top Vatican post, as prefect of the supreme tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.) But while Archbishop Burke won little support from other American bishops, Archbishop Dosado has seen the bishops of the Philippines rally to his defense.
Archbishop Angelo Lagdameo of Jaro, the president of the country's episcopal conference, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the pastoral letter by Archbishop Dosado "is based on canon law and we are all bound by it."
Archbishop Lagdameo went on to say that he was planning to institute the same policy for his own archdiocese. He said that the policy should extend not only to politicians but to all Catholics who provide public support for abortion. A third Filipino prelate, Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Linguyen-Dagupan, had told reporters that the questions raised by Archbishop Dosado in his pastoral letter might be brought up for approval by the entire bishops' conference. But the president of the conference told the Daily Inquirer that no such nationwide vote is necessary. Since the policy is dictated by canon law, Archbishop Lagdameo said, all of the bishops of the Philippines are already bound by it.
Manila, Jul. 16, 2008 (CWNews.com) - The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines has given his unqualified support to a brother bishop's pastoral letter barring pro-abortion politicians from receiving Communion.
Archbishop Jesus Dosado had Ozamis has drawn some criticism for his strong stance-- just as an influential American Church leader, Archbishop Raymond Burke, drew criticism for taking the same stand in his St. Louis, Missouri archdiocese. (Archbishop Burke has now been appointed to a top Vatican post, as prefect of the supreme tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.) But while Archbishop Burke won little support from other American bishops, Archbishop Dosado has seen the bishops of the Philippines rally to his defense.
Archbishop Angelo Lagdameo of Jaro, the president of the country's episcopal conference, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the pastoral letter by Archbishop Dosado "is based on canon law and we are all bound by it."
Archbishop Lagdameo went on to say that he was planning to institute the same policy for his own archdiocese. He said that the policy should extend not only to politicians but to all Catholics who provide public support for abortion. A third Filipino prelate, Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Linguyen-Dagupan, had told reporters that the questions raised by Archbishop Dosado in his pastoral letter might be brought up for approval by the entire bishops' conference. But the president of the conference told the Daily Inquirer that no such nationwide vote is necessary. Since the policy is dictated by canon law, Archbishop Lagdameo said, all of the bishops of the Philippines are already bound by it.
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